[robojester]

We hear about people getting scammed on Craigs List and some of the other sites.
What can a renter do in the way of due diligence?

[LV10101]

Try to rent through a property management company. If you do find a private owner who is renting a property without a property management company check them out...research on the internet, name, property address and verify they are the owner by using public records. In Clark County, like most counties, you can look up the property tax records and they usually will give you all the info you need to know; Owner's name, if they are behind on taxes, etc.

Either way if you are renting through a property management company or private owner be aware of your rights and responsibilities. Make sure you do a FULL walk-through of the property and list all damage and concerns on the walk-through paperwork also get a copy. Take pictures of every room and everything, not just damages. Make sure they give you at least a few days to let them know about any additional damage or issues after you move in. You wont notice a lot until you are in the rental. Give the deposit in a cashiers check, keep the receipt. Make sure you know the lease and terms of the lease. Make sure you know what happens when the lease ends.

[forestgump99]

Look on the Clark County website for foreclosure notices on the home you're about to rent.

[airics]

Think... If the price is too good to be true, it is

[Dogfriend15]

It's pretty easy....if the owner is "out of town" and unable to show you the property, it's a scam. If they want you to wire money, it's a scam. If they want you to send a check and then they'll mail you the keys, it's a scam. If they send you an email in terrible english saying how great the property is and they are offering it a super discount because they just want to make sure it's taken care of and don't care about making money, it's a scam. You can also type in the address of the property for google, a lot of times you'll see the exact property listed somewhere else for a higher price. If that's the case, most likely the listing you found on craigslist with a lower price is a scam. The sad thing is 10,000 people will easily identify a scam listing, but then you will have 1 who will not and end up falling victim, so therefore it's a numbers game for the scammer and they don't need to fool many people in order to make a dishonest buck.

[ddrhazy]

If the person is the owner, ask to see their ID and see if it matches with what the county assessor's record shows. But you better be willing to do the same if he asks for your ID.

If they are the manager, look up their management company through the yellow pages and call the number you find, not one that is provided to you.

If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

See if they actually ask you questions pertaining to why you'd be an OK tenant. If they don't seem interested in that, it should be a red flag.

[Raiderman]

We rented from 3000 miles away. We found a few realtors who would send us lists of available rentals. We then ended up using one of the realtors on this board who showed a few properties to our friends who were living here, and they video'd the homes. We picked the one we liked best, and took care of everything directly with the property manager via email and snail mail.